Improved process for treating fur



UNITED STATES PATENT @rincer ALFRED o. BnUsn, oF 13A-RIEN,

CONNECTICUT.

'IMPROVED PROCESS FOR TREATING FUR.

Specication forming-part ot' Letters Patent No. 52, 133, dated January 723, 1866:.

.To .all whom it may concern L Be it knownthat I, ALFRED C. BRUSH, of Darien, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Treating Fur, Wool, and Hair; and Ido hereby declare that the fol-- lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification. The drawing, consisting of onlyone figure, represents a steam-box by means of which l propose Vto illustrate the principle of my discoveryand invention. l-

The fine hair of certain animals, known by containsin its natural state more or less oil or greaseA and yolk, which it is necessary to .re-. move in order to bring it to a proper condition for felting, as, in making hat-bodies -or other articles produced by felting, and for other procses of manufacture. Such oil or grease and yolk have sometimes been removed to a greater or less extent by immersing and 'washing the stock in a bath' containing alum.

and salt, or by using a solution oi' soda, or by using common soap, Other alkalies have `also-been used, and it is also common to attempt to eure or purfyfurby means of quicksilver, and also by means ot' sulphur-ic acid. Some of these methods involve considerable expense ,on account of the cost of the mate rials and' some of them injure the felting properties of the fur, wool, and hair by destroying their tine filaments and serrations, which infelting engage each other, and which,

therefore, it is desirable to Apreserve uninjured. jgi' The treatment-which, furi that isdntended ,elting-'purposes 'now commonly under-y goe'sis known by the general name ot' carrotting, which name is understood by many to comprehend any of the proleessesat pres! .ent known or used for removingv grease .from the. fnr and for preparing itortheielting process. As already stated these processes, whether acids. or alkalies or lqnicksilver are used, are found to' injure-the '-felting propertisof the `fur.

In addgitiof'to this injurious?, actionon the fur, it is"'f0 undthat the work-`Y s'menwho-are ai wardemployed in,rinish,ingj` 4` hats, where hot irons are used, are often injured in health by the vapors which are generated by the heat employed in the work, so that it is commonly assented that the business of linishing hats is an unhealthyemployment. Both these results are avoided and done awa-y with by my discovery and invention.

My discovery and invention consists in a newv method of treatment of fur, wool, and

hair, whereby the natural oil, grease, or .yolk

is removed without destroying the felting` 'properties. I subject 4them to the action of steam in a closed vessel for a period of thirty minutes, more or less. The pressure of steam necessary for this purpose varies with different kinds and conditions of stock. For many varieties of fur a pressure of sixty pounds, or even less, will suffice, while 'or some kinds of .fur, while new and in a very oily condition,a

pressure of from one hundred to one hundred and hfty pounds will be required, and for very oily wool a pressure of two hundred and fifty pounds (more or less) will be necessary. The pressure may be carried to four' hundred, ve hundredLor any practicable height without injury to the materials, so long as the steam remains moist and superheating is avoided. Superheated or dry steam at any pressure, however low, will injure, if. not destroy the liber.

Any suitable receptacle or vessel may be used for carrying out my invention, which is strong enough to resist the pressure of the steam. rlhe vessel may beV of any suit-able material. rlhe. letter A designates such a receptacle or vessel. It may be divided by partitions B, if desired, and it may have in4 its bottom one or more openings, C, to receive steam in the several divisions, and one or more smaller openings, D., 'to let the natural oil or "grease, which in the oaseot' woolis'sometimes called the yolk, and impurities and foreign matters escape along with the water of condensation. It is provided with a perforated or .reticulated false bottom, E, to support the Afur, wool, or hair, and at the saine time allow the water of condensation and the oil or grease and other matter to run ofi'.

The openings to admit steam may, it' Ip'r'et'erred,.be made in the sides instead of in the By means of my invention I am enabled to a aimes `prepare fur, huir, und wool for hutters :nld

other uses in u clean and sweet condition without'discoloring them and without destroying or impairing their natu al felting properties, and in the best possible condition for dyeing.

The absence of the deleterious agents commonly used to remove oily and suponaceous matter Ifrom fur, woo1, und hair adapts these materials to receive and preserve colors with much better effect when prepared under my process than under those heretofore employed.l

VThe process is also veryvuluuuble for the the purpose of. disintegrating bnrrsv and other 

